So, you wanna travel?

You do, huh?

In this day and age, everybody wants to travel. There are, generally, a few distinct types of travellers. Let's not talk about the groups of travelling families, middle aged people. This post is about the 17 to 35 year olds.

Most people in that age group, either:

- want to travel solo to some place, or around the world, to experience different cultures, and coz they need to get out of their current routine, or coz they just want to constantly be on holiday. or they want to see someplace, which has previously only existed in their dreams and imaginations.

- want to travel solo to some place, or around the world, and also to live for a short period of time in 1 place. In order to do this, they work part time, or do a travel-work thingie, or embark on a vocational course. This is to experience the culture, get away from what they have been used to, and because they want to live life in that place as how they imagine life in that place is lived, in their dreams.

- want to travel solo to some place, or around the world, experience new things cultures people etc, meet people. Perhaps, to meet someone special and enjoy that feeling of amour. To meet the type of people they dream about, that cannot be found where they currently are.

Whatever it is you want, there is no wrong in that. If thats your dream, if thats what makes you happy, well, go for it, if you find that it is worth leaving behind whatever you are leaving behind. If you feel that that helps you recapture your youth, or gives you a sense of romance, or a sense of freedom, or a sense of empowerment, then, go ahead. But if you are travelling alone, especially for girls, you have got to grow up, be sensible, be realistic, and not be naive. Many a time a girl has gotten in trouble in their search for fun, excitement, and that bit of adrenaline. They think that as long as they are in control, then they can get as deep in as they want.

The problem is, they are NEVER in control. The fact is this: you can rave all you want about feminism and all that, but the fact is, you are vulnerable. The trick is to seem non threatening, to let the girl feel like she is in control, to let her feel like she is calling the shots, that she is dictating how deep in she is going. Let her feel like she wants the drink, and make her think that she is still sober, and can call it off anytime. And that you will be willing to roll with it. Once she thinks she is in control, she will let her guard down. When the timing is right, you go for the kill. And by that time, she will realize that the control is just an illusion. And by then, it is too late.

Many a girl-just-wanna-have-fun moment has resulted in horrible consequences. And when that happens, besides rape, besides being drugged with devastating effects on the body later including affecting her ability to reproduce, you also get deaths. And these are the reported ones.

This article about the recent disappearance of Britt Lapthorne in Europe, the Australian girl, just drives home that fact. She was just out to have fun. To her, she was just being friendly. But in the minds of the guys there, although not conveyed to her, she was viewed as easy, promiscuous, etc, and her body has just been found. Such dumb, naive, stupid and selfish acts basically have led to her family being the ones who are the real victims, who are left to pick up the crumbling pieces of their life, forever wonder and regret, to deal with the insinuations and whispers about their loved one's moral decisions. As the author herself recalls and admits, when a young girl travels solo, more often that not, it is with God's good grace that she returns completely unscathed.

People can be horribly naive. Just because something is not in their horizon of consciousness, it doesn't mean that others will not act upon it. There are still many parts of this world, even in civilized areas, where people disappear. They don't realize, 6 girls are no match for 1 guy. A guy can take several hits from several grls. But one punch from a guy, can knock a girl out cold. You can rave and rant against this unfairness and whatnot, but thats reality.

So, the point is, if you are a girl intending to travel solo, go for it if thats what you dream. But whatever you do, it is not excess prudence to let your imagination run a bit, take extra precautions, be very careful, and not be naive, do not take risks, alwiz think of your family, and most of all, are you REALLY in control?